Long Shadows: Ashfur Reveals All
by Lightkit
Summary: Title says it. It's an alternate ending to Long Shadows. R&R, no flames. One-shot, complete.


Long Shadows; Ashfur's Favor

**Hey. It's Lightkit (obviously). Anyway, I have to give my reviewers something, and since I'm at a standstill on both of my other stories, I'll take one of my other works (that I wrote because I was bored) and post it. Enjoy, review. Any flames I receive will be used to roast mousemallows. READ!**

**Disclaimer- Me no own Warriors!**

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It was the afternoon before the Gathering. Hollyleaf lay awake in her next, eyes narrowed to slits as she thought about all that Ashfur had done. Before this, she had thought that once they had gotten rid of Sol that life would be back to normal. Instead, an even bigger threat was about to be unleashed. '_He's going to destroy ThunderClan! He's going to reveal us in front of the entire Gathering! In front of all the other Clans!_' she wailed in her head.

Her paws began to itch. Hollyleaf gave up trying to sleep and wandered out of camp and into the forest. Her claws dug angrily into the damp, soggy ground. Suddenly, Ashfur padded out from behind the trunk of a large elm tree. Hollyleaf jumped and snapped, "Don't creep up on me like that!"

Ashfur bared his teeth in a snarl. "I'm not creeping! I'm checking a fox trail, if you must know." He paused, as if waiting for an answer, then looked skeptically at her. "You're not going to try and convince me to change my mind like your littermates and that pathetic excuse for a she-cat?"

"No," Hollyleaf replied, pulling back her lips in the beginnings of a snarl. She paused, and then spat, "I only worry that you will weaken ThunderClan so soon after the Great Battle!"

"I'll _purr_ over what will happen when that lying, faithless she-cat is exposed for what she truly is," he promised, eyes narrowed. With that, the gray tom turned and stalked away into the trees.

The sun was sinking behind the hills when Firestar called the cats he had chosen to go to the Gathering together. Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Squirrelflight, and Jayfeather were among them. The flame furred leader looked around the clearing, then shook his head. "Where's Ashfur?" he sighed, exasperated. "He specifically asked to come tonight and now he's not here."

Brambleclaw padded up to his leader. "If we wait any longer, we'll be very late," The deputy warned.

Firestar sighed, and waved his tail to beckon the chosen cats to follow. ThunderClan raced away, out through the entrance tunnel, through the trees and across the slopes. It appeared that all was well and good. But Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather could all sense that something was amiss. Squirrelflight, the she-cat who had, until very recently, been their mother, could sense it as well, and was lashing her tail with anxiety.

When ThunderClan arrived at the Gathering, Firestar immediately leaped into the Great Oak and, after nodding to the other leaders, let out a yowl to start the meeting. Leopardstar, leader of RiverClan, began, telling of a new litter of kits and apprentices made into warriors. Blackstar of ShadowClan said much of the same. Onestar passed on trivial bits of news from WindClan. Finally it was Firestar's turn. "Hollyleaf and Lionblaze have been made into warriors, and Whitewing has moved into the nursery. There was a great fire that swept through our camp, but it has been rebuilt, and we are as strong as ever." he announced, his eyes gleaming with pride.

Blackstar nodded. "Then if that is all, then…"

"Wait!" A voice, all too familiar, cried out. "I have news to share." Ashfur appeared on the branch just above the leaders. His eyes gleamed with hatred as he stared down into the crowd, his gaze falling on Squirrelflight.

"No!" whispered Hollyleaf, gazing up at the branch where he stood. "He can't!"

"Ashfur?" Firestar asked, bewildered. "Where were you? We left the camp without you. And what is going on here?"

Ashfur flicked his tail. "That's not important right now," he meowed to his leader. Then, louder, he yowled, "Listen to what I have to say!" By now he had caught the attention of every cat, leaders and apprentices alike, like prey leaping into his waiting claws. Ashfur prowled along the branch, his eyes gleaming madly. Any one of the assembled cats could see that something had gone wrong in his head. "There are cats here tonight that carry horrible secrets. Secrets that can change the way we think and see these cats. One cat in particular shall be revealed under the watchful gaze of StarClan. You all know Squirrelflight and her mate, Brambleclaw." Murmurings began to start in the crowd, and Hollyleaf pressed closer to her littermates, not knowing the horrors to come. "Those of you in ThunderClan know that her kits were born outside the camp, and also that she didn't nurse them. This much is true. But there is still more to the story than you have heard before."

Squirrelflight was looking up at the shining stars above, her tail lashing with helpless fury. Lionblaze murmured so that only the three could hear, "Don't worry. Whatever happens, we'll stick together, no matter what."

Ashfur continued his mad rant. "Squirrelflight has lied and cheated all of you of the truth, which I reveal tonight!" He was screeching by now, his claws hooking into the bark. "Squirrelflight has never had any kits!" Gasps were heard all around. "Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather are not Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight's kits!"

There was a long silence. Then a voice broke the quiet. "I-is this true, Squirrelflight?" Brambleclaw stammered, his amber eyes wide with sadness.

Squirrelflight raised her head proudly and looked her mate in the eye. "Yes," she meowed, just loud enough for every cat to hear. "Yes, what Ashfur says is true."

Now the eyes turned to the three siblings. Lionblaze held his head high, though his tail lashed across the ground. Jayfeather's ears swiveled back and forth, and his eyes stared directly at Ashfur, as though he could actually see him. All Hollyleaf could do was stare despairingly at Ashfur. The Clans may have viewed them as calm, but in their minds, there was anything but. They all had the same thought running through their minds. '_What will be our fate now?_'

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**Review. Press the button. Press it! You know you want to…XD. And yes, this is a one-shot. Unless I get enough reviews telling me to continue (which I think is highly unlikely), it will remain as is.**

**Luv,**

**Lightkit**


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